The Chicago Blackhawks have checked off some important boxes this offseason, but the biggest one is still sitting there untouched.
Kyle Davidson has been active enough to reshape parts of the roster, yet the one thing he clearly wanted most - a top-six forward who can skate alongside Connor Bedard - remains out of reach. That search has run straight into a thin free-agent pool and a trade market that has been far too expensive for Davidson’s taste.
He has kicked tires on some of the biggest names, including Matthew Knies and Jason Robertson, but the asking prices were steep enough to stop the Blackhawks cold. The rumored return for Knies, in particular, would have been massive.
So where does that leave Chicago? For now, it leaves the Blackhawks with a roster that may look a little sturdier, but still feels short on the kind of offensive punch that changes a season.
There are internal options who could grow into that role, but none of them are guaranteed bets right away. Davidson is banking on players such as Anton Frondell and Roman Kantserov to emerge as real top-line threats, because if they don’t, the lack of help up front could become a real problem.
That concern only grows with Bedard likely to miss the start of the season.
The additions on the forward side have been more about muscle than scoring. Jordan Greenway and Cole Smith are in the mix now, and while neither is expected to move the needle offensively, both should bring some needed physicality to a bottom six that could use it.
The other major storyline hanging over the summer is Bedard’s contract, and that one still hasn’t been resolved. There’s no firm timetable on an extension, but the delay is noticeable.
Two recent developments have likely complicated things further: Bedard’s second shoulder injury, suffered during offseason training in North Vancouver, and the massive $18 million offer sheet the Philadelphia Flyers gave Anaheim Ducks forward Leo Carlsson. Bedard is expected to miss the start of the season because of the four-month surgery timeline, and that injury situation has only added another layer to the negotiations.
The Carlsson offer sheet has also changed the temperature around the market. Reports had already suggested Bedard could be in line for something close to the $17 million deal Kirill Kaprizov signed with the Minnesota Wild last year, and the Carlsson situation may have pushed that number even higher in the eyes of Bedard’s camp.
Davidson did land one of his biggest priorities by extending Bowen Byram on the richest contract for a defenseman at $12.5 million per year. That number won’t sit at the top of the market for long with Quinn Hughes and Cale Makar extensions looming, but it still signals how much the Blackhawks are investing in Byram as a core piece.
The deal does not begin until 2027-2028, which gives him time to grow into that role. Still, the expectations are obvious, and the pressure that comes with a contract like that is real.
There has also been movement on the restricted free agent front. Drew Commesso signed his extension this past week and will now have a shot at competing for the backup job in Chicago.
Kevin Korchinski and Ethan Del Mastro are still waiting on new deals, though there is no rush to force those along. Both will have to earn their way onto the defensive depth chart, especially with Byram and Ian Cole now crowding the blue line.
One of them is likely headed for the seventh-defenseman role, while the other could be in Rockford.
So has Davidson done enough? Right now, the answer leans no.
The defense looks better with Byram in the fold, but the offense still feels unfinished, and the absence of that Bedard linemate hangs over everything. If Chicago is going to make a real push, the young core is going to have to carry a lot more of the load than it has so far.
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Blackhawks May Be Forced Into A Reunion Fans Never Stopped Debating
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Patrick Kane is the name that keeps hovering over the conversation, and it is easy to see why the idea refuses to go away in Chicago. A reunion would carry obvious nostalgia and a clean fit in a limited offensive role, but the discussion is still only that for now, with Kane also drawing attention as a possible fit elsewhere if he does not wind up back in Detroit. [Read more 🡒]